Akadeum Life Sciences Raises $1 Million

New startup Akadeum Life Sciences closed a round of funding this month that brings them to a total of $1 Million in funding. The life sciences startup in Ann Arbor has found a unique way to improve diagnostics.

“We improve life science research and diagnostics by capturing cells with microbubbles,” said Brandon McNaughton, Co-founder and CEO of Akadeum.

The co-founders McNaughton and John Younger also took a different route to product development. They started their journey last year aiming to solve a market problem. A lot of times high tech companies form around the technology, but not in this case.

“We formed the company around a market pain point,” said McNaughton. “The product that we make, selling microbubbles and we’re also developing micro bubble collectors, there’s nothing like that on market.”

Akadeum created a much easier, faster, and more efficient way to pull the cells in a blood test: through their buoyant cell-separation technology. They sell their product to pharmaceutical companies, academics in life sciences, and research companies. Other companies interested are also in the food and pathogen market. They are working with their customers, following a more “lean startup approach” than often seen in the life sciences field.

In order to continue product development and fuel their sales and marketing, Akadeum raised a total of $1 million in investment led by Michigan eLab. Investment was also received from Detroit Innovate, Invest Michigan, University of Michigan MINTS, and Jeffrey Schox, a nationally renowned patent attorney. The startup is seeking a series A financing for 2016.